The present invention generally relates to a bar stool. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bar stool that may be securely stacked with at least one other similar bar stool and/or is configurable to a variety of seat heights.
Bar stools are currently in wide use by consumers in a variety of applications and settings. The original use of a bar stool is as a high seat for patrons of a bar, tavern or other drinking establishment. However, in recent years, the use of bar stools has spread to residential settings including use at home bars and for use in kitchens.
When bar stools were used in a bar or tavern, the bar stool was merely positioned near the bar and left in that location permanently. However, in residential environments for example, consumers often wish to use bar stools for a temporary time period, such as only when guests are being entertained. Consequently, the consumers may prefer to store the bar stools when not in use. A convenient way of storing bar stools is by stacking the bar stools.
For example, a design for a stacking bar stool is disclosed in Barile et al., U.S. Pat. No. D420,821. The stacking bar stool of Barile has two front legs, two rear legs, a seat, a footrest and a backrest. The two rear legs of the bar stool in Barile are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the seat. Spacing the rear legs farther apart than the width of the seat allows the rear legs of an upper bar stool to clear the seat of a lower bar stool when an upper bar stool is stacked on top of a lower bar stool. After clearing the seat of the lower bar stool, the legs of the upper bar stool are located flush with the front of the lower bar stool's legs.
Similar to a stacking bar stool, a design for a stackable chair is disclosed in Engel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,337. The stacking chair in Engel includes a seat with cut-out corner regions and inclined legs. When an upper chair is stacked on a lower chair, the cut-out corner regions allow the inclined legs of the upper chair to nest on top of the inclined legs of the lower chair.
While it is convenient to stack bar stools, the size and weight of bar stools may make them awkward and unsafe to stack. An upper bar stool may wobble and shift around when placed on top of a lower bar stool. The upper bar stool may even shift far enough forward that it falls off the lower bar stool or causes both bar stools to tip over resulting in damage to the bar stools or surrounding equipment. In addition to damaging the bar stools or surrounding equipment, the falling bar stools may pose a hazard for children or other passersby who may be struck by the falling bar stools. To prevent stacked bar stools from falling over, the bar stool is preferably constructed with a motion restraining system to prevent an upper bar stool from falling off a lower bar stool.
For example, the stacking chair of Engel restrains forward movement of an upper chair by nesting the legs of the upper chair on top of the legs of the lower chair. When the upper chair attempts to slide forward, the rear legs of the upper chair are prevented from sliding forward by the rear legs of the lower chair. Consequently, the upper chair is restrained from falling off the lower chair.
In contrast, Barile uses a footrest to restrain the movement of an upper bar stool when stacked on a lower bar stool. To provide restraint, two side portions of the footrest taper outward on an angle from the inside edges of the rear two legs to the outside edges of the two front legs. By tapering the two side portions of the footrest outward, the spacing between the two side portions of the footrest gradually increases towards the front legs. When an upper bar stool is stacked on top of a lower bar stool, the rear legs of the upper bar stool are positioned in front of the rear legs of the lower bar stool. As the upper bar stool slides forward, the rear legs of the upper bar stool eventually contact the two side portions of the footrest where the spacing exceeds the distance between the two rear legs. Consequently, the two rear legs are prevented from sliding further forward and the upper bar stool is restrained from falling off the lower bar stool.
In order to optimally secure an upper bar stool to a lower bar stool, it may be preferable to secure the legs at a location near the top of the legs. In addition, it may be preferable to secure the legs of an upper bar stool at more than one location along the length of the legs.
For example, the bar stool of Barile provides a single restraint to forward motion located in the lower half of the bar stool legs. When an upper bar stool is subjected to a force pulling the upper bar stool forward, the rear legs of the upper bar stool will be subjected to stress and strain. By locating the leg restraint in the lower half of the bar stool legs, the legs of an upper bar stool may be subjected to higher levels of stress and strain from a force pulling forward on the backrest of the upper bar stool than if the leg restraint was located in the top half of the bar stool legs. Addtionally, more than one leg restraint may reduce concentrations of stress and strain along the legs of an upper bar stool when subjected to a force pulling forward on the backrest. By including more than one leg restraint, the distribution of stress and strain may be altered to a more even distribution along the length of the legs. Thus, it may be highly desirable to have a stackable bar stool with a leg restraint near the top of the bar stool legs. It may also be desirable to have a stackable bar stool with more than one leg restraint.
Because consumers may use a bar stool in a variety of locations, a bar stool of one seat height may not be suitable in a location where a bar stool of another seat height is desired. For example, a kitchen island countertop in a residence may be positioned at a different height than the counter of a bar in a tavern. Also, a shorter individual may desire a bar stool of a different seat height than a taller individual. For example, a shorter individual may desire a taller bar stool to place the shorter individual at a comfortable level with a counter while a taller individual may desire a shorter bar stool to place the taller individual at the same level with the same counter. Thus, a desirable seat height for a bar stool may depend on the location where the bar stool is used or the height of the individual using the bar stool.
Currently, bar stools of different fixed seat heights are sold to meet a variety of bar stool seat heights demanded by consumers. Typical seat heights may range from 24–30 inches with custom seat heights from 30–42 inches being available. Having to order different bar stools based upon the seat height is inefficient and costly. The consumer may have to purchase bar stools of a fixed seat height for a particular location or a particular person. If the consumer desires to use the bar stools at another location or use the bar stools for another person, the consumer may be forced to purchase additional bar stools if the desirable seat height of the bar stools for the new use is different than the desirable seat height for the old use. Purchasing new bar stools each time the conditions of use change may be a costly and an inefficient use of bar stools. Thus, it may be highly desirable to have a bar stool that may be configured by a consumer to a variety of seat heights.
Fixed seat height bar stools may also be costly and inefficient for suppliers. Currently, suppliers may have to maintain an inventory of bar stools of many different seat heights to quickly supply the range of bar stool seat heights demanded by consumers. Rather than store the bar stools, suppliers may choose to reduce inventory by waiting and manufacturing bar stools as orders are placed. Manufacturing bar stools as orders are placed may increase supply times and dissatisfy consumers. Thus, it may be desirable to reduce inventory by stocking a bar stool that may be configured to a variety of seat heights shortly before shipment from the supplier or after receipt by the consumer.
Existing height adjustment systems for furniture do not specifically address bar stools, but some systems do adjust the seat height of chairs. Typical height adjustment systems for chairs attach different types of unreliable and externally obvious extenders to the legs of a chair to increase the seat height of the chair.
For example, one height adjustment system is disclosed in Valentor et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,068. The height adjustment system of Valentor discloses adjusting the seat height of a chair by rotating a threaded member that is threadably received into the bottom of the feet of a chair. The threaded member may be adjusted between a minimum and maximum level to raise and lower the seat height of a chair. The ends of the threaded member are terminated with a cap that attaches to the end of the threaded member.
However, the height adjustment system of Valentor may require periodic readjustment due to undesired rotation of the threaded member. The threaded member used for adjusting the height of the chair in Valentor lacks physical stops along the threaded member. Excessive weight on the chair or movement of the chair may cause one or more of the threaded members to rotate further into the leg of the chair. As a result, some of the threaded members may end up adjusted to a different height than the remaining threaded members. A chair with some threaded members adjusted to a different height than the other threaded members will be subject to wobbling and falling over. Thus, it may be highly desirable to have leg extenders that attach to the feet of a chair or bar stool where the leg extenders include a physical stop to maintain the adjusted height of the chair. Additionally, it may be highly desirable to provide a height adjustment system that provides consistent and reliable height adjustment.
Furthermore, once the maximum adjustable limit of a height adjuster like that in Valentor has been reached, a consumer may not increase the height of the chair any further with that particular height adjuster. If the consumer desires to raise the seat height of the chair any further, the consumer may have to replace the entire set of height adjusters with another set of longer height adjusters. Completely replacing a shorter set of height adjusters with a new set of longer height adjusters may be costly and a waste of natural resources. Thus, it may be desirable to have a height adjustment system where additional sets of leg extenders may be safely attached to another set of leg extenders to increase the seat height of a bar stool.